Craig Morris

About: Born in the United States, Craig Morris (@PPchef) has been living in Germany since 1992. In 2002, he founded Petite Planète, a translation and documentation service focusing on IT and renewables. He is the author of the book Energy Switch (2006) along with numerous articles in both English and German on energy technologies and policies. He writes every workday at Renewables International – and, of course, he is a frequent contributor to the Energiewende Blog.

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Oxford County, Ontario, has just opened a wind farm as part of a project to go 100% renewables for electricity and heat. Craig Morris visited the project, which could become a role model for the entire country.

Oxford County is set to become Canada’s first 100% renewable energy community. (Photo: Craig Morris)

Donald Trump will be the next US president. For too long, climate campaigners focused on policies and technical fixes. It’s time to start listening to the people affected again, rather than talking past them. A view from Germany by Craig Morris.

Miners in West Virginia’s Coal Town (1974) ; it’s time to talk to the people affected by climate campaigns (Public Domain)

Nuclear reactors running on thorium are widely held to be inherently safer than the awful pressurized-water reactors we have today. So why don’t we have thorium reactors? A new TV documentary also available online answers the question quite well. Craig Morris sums up the evidence.

The operator of Switzerland’s nuclear reactors, Alpiq, reportedly offered reactors to France’s EDF at no cost or “a symbolic franc.” The French, who have their hands full with their own struggling fleet at home, refused the offer. A potential power shortfall still looms in the background. Craig Morris explains.

Concerns about the cost impact of Germany’s energy transition now include the grid fee. The German Network Agency has clamped down on profit margins for grid operators. Craig Morris weighs in on the debate over whether all these grid lines are needed.

Bavaria, which provides the most solar power in Germany, will be covered by Tennet (photo edited, CC0 1.0)

The final report of a Finnish proposal for a pilot basic income project will be out in mid-November. The Germans want to combine eco-taxes with basic income. A new proposal in the US also shows how environmental taxation can be used to redistribute wealth. Low-income households pay a larger share of their income on energy, but wealthy households spend more on energy in absolute terms. And what if we take it a step further and pay back this tax revenue as unconditional basic income (UBI)? Craig Morris explains.

The Swiss “Generation Grundeinkommen” moved for a referendum on a UBI in 2013, which was ultimately rejected (Photo by Stefan Bohrer, edited, public domain)

The Chinese aim to boost sales of electric vehicles. The news is a warning shot – and possibly the death knell – for German carmakers, who have relied on the Chinese market for sales of luxury gas guzzlers made in Germany. Craig Morris explains.

The Dakota pipeline protests could be the start of something big. Germany’s Energiewende began as a civil rights movement. Now, Americans are beginning to protest across the country, demanding that the energy sector respect society. Craig Morris asks: when will you join the movement?

Solidarity rally in Minnesota against the Dakota Access Pipeline; we encourage you to join the movement in your area (Photo by Fibonacci Blue, edited, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The short answer is no, which is worrying in light of the numerous reports to the contrary. Still, what happened should not be underestimated either: the German states—including ones with giant carmakers—have asked the EU for help in phasing out cars running on fossil fuels… well, sort of. What’s needed is options, as Craig Morris explains.

Tesla charging station in Münchberg, Germany; we need massive investments in such infrastructure (Photo by Avda, edited, CC BY-SA 3.0)

At present, 21 of France’s 58 nuclear reactors are offline. The country’s power prices have skyrocketed, as have imports. Power from fossil fuel is increasing, and the country has now postponed its plans to implement a floor price on carbon. Craig Morris explains why.

It is often held that citizens get involved in energy coops in order to profit personally. That’s true, but it’s also overrated as a motive. Now, a new study puts the various reasons in context, and gives Craig Morris some hard data for what he says he already knew anecdotally from numerous such projects. The findings may surprise you—and the German government.

The amount reported as the cost of renewable electricity has nearly reached seven cents per kilowatt-hour, almost as much as the lowest retail rates in the United States. Yet, the main price driver is reportedly “falling wholesale prices.” Sound weird? Maybe it’s time to change the surcharge’s name, Craig Morris suggests.

Another setback for the “nuclear renaissance”: Switzerland voted on Friday to focus more on renewables and efficiency. For the first time ever, new nuclear plants are officially off the table—though admittedly, none were planned. The Swiss just “adopted the Energiewende,” writes the Neue Züricher Zeitung. Is no one paying attention? Craig Morris has the details.

Will another coal plant ever be opened in Germany? Only one is currently in the pipeline officially, and it has almost been completed—and could be put into operation soon. So what’s the holdup? Craig Morris takes a look.

The decision to go ahead with Hinkley shows that any technology with a long timeframe is a juggernaut in an energy world of foreshortening planning horizons. But other questions remain open: can an EPR be built at all? Why is new nuclear cheaper outside the UK? And isn’t Hinkley at least a good low-carbon complement to wind and solar? Craig Morris takes a look.

After several years of North Americans criticizing EU biomass policy for leading to imports of wood pellets to Europe, the European Union now complains in the other direction—that the US should stop flooding the EU with biomass. Craig Morris explains.

Clear-cut forests in Oregon; the EU and the US need to work together to make biomass harvest more sustainable (Photo by Calibas, edited, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Household battery storage units connected to solar roofs are about to take off in Germany, according to sector experts. But if storage + solar makes sense, so does storage on its own. Craig Morris explains.

Solar units and battery storage are becoming more affordable (Photo by Pubajak, edited, Public Domain)

The Governor of New York State says Americans will be reading by candlelight unless nuclear is subsidized. The state’s Public Service Commission (NYPSC) implemented such subsidies at the beginning of August, claiming it “learned a lesson from Germany.” Craig Morris takes a look at the data.

The Indian point nuclear power plant will not benefit from the planned subsidies, as it is considered too dangerous (Photo by Tony, edited, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Today, Craig Morris covers the last major new chart in the update of our e-book for 2016. It shows that the worst is over in terms of job losses for coal power—and that there are already far more jobs related to renewables. What it doesn’t show is that Germany will fail to reach its 2020 target for green jobs by a wide margin.

Ende Gelände protesters call for a coal phaseout, but have been met with great resistance (Photo by Paul Wagner, edited, CC BY 2.0)

Today, Craig Morris explains our updated graphics on German energy consumption. Private consumers may support the further growth of renewables, but they also make up a relatively small part of total energy consumption.

This year’s World Nuclear Status Report was published in July. 2015 turns out to have been the best year for new nuclear builds in a quarter of a century, but nothing at all has been completed yet in 2016. Craig Morris takes a look.

Ikata Nuclear Powerplant, Japan; the country only had 2 reactors online in 2015. (Photo by Newsliner, edited, CC BY-SA 2.5)

What would Brexit mean for the proposed nuclear reactor at Hinkley and England? No one really knew—until the new government in Downing Street announced the refurbishment of its nuclear submarines. Shortly thereafter, London confirmed that it remains committed to Hinkley—before postponing a final decision once again. Craig Morris explains.

Hinkley power station in the distance ; the proposed reactor is running into problems from all sides (Photo by Nilfanion, edited, CC BY-SA 3.0)

On July 1, Agora Verkehrswende officially went into business. A sister organization of Agora Energiewende, a think tank for Germany’s energy transition, Verkehrswende will focus (as the German name indicates) on the transport transition. If the organization truly pursues environmental policy, it will fill a gap. If it mainly concerns itself with industrial policy, it will be redundant. Craig Morris explores the possibilities.

Biking in Berlin. The city is in desperate need of better bike lanes, which may not happen until think tanks like Agora Verkehrswende pursue environmental policy. (Photo by Bukk, edited, CC0 1.0)

“The duck has landed,” writes California-based energy expert Meredith Fowlie about renewables pushing demand for conventional power at midday below the overnight level. But what Californians call a technical limit is, in reality, a political one, as Craig Morris’s comparison with Germany reveals.

The Toronto Renewable Energy Cooperative (TREC) highlights some of the global estimates about payback to communities that allow their citizens to invest in renewable projects. But Craig Morris’s overview of the statistics shows the lack of comparable hard data.

Solar panels on a home in Killean, Puslinch, Ontario. The benefits of community solar are under debate (Photo by Laslovarga, edited, CC BY-SA 4.0)

In the first half of 2016, 36.4 percent of the electricity produced in Germany was renewable according to preliminary data. The target for 2020 is only 35 percent – and that figure does not include power exports. Renewables seem to be cutting into both coal power and nuclear; gas is up. Craig Morris explains.

German wind turbines; renewables may be on track to achieve its renewable energy targets (Photo by Tony Webster, modified, CC BY 2.0)

For those of us who call for greater energy democracy, Brexit is a challenge. After all, doesn’t it demonstrate that the public is easy to fool and cannot be trusted to make decisions based on facts rather than emotions? To draw the right conclusions for all of Europe, it helps to understand how the Energiewende strengthened democracy in Germany. Craig Morris calls for more democracy, not less.

Is Brexit the start of a slippery slope, or the beginning of a renewed focus on citizen needs? It depends on how we react. (Photo by Pexels, modified, CC0 1.0)

Is the media doing a bad job covering climate change and the energy sector? If not, why do so many experts think so? A group of them recently met in Germany to discuss the issue. Between practitioners (journalists) and outsiders (climatologists), what was missing was media analysts. Craig Morris explains.

Dieter Janecek of the German Green Party has said that there is not media silence on climate change in Germany (Photo by Stephan Röll, modified, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Energiewende is a federal energy policy that started off as a grassroots movement. Just a few years ago, investments in the sector clearly revealed those origins. But amendments implemented in 2014 changed the trend fundamentally. If the government does not address the issue soon, one can only include the outcome is intentional. Craig Morris takes a look.

For decades, the Danes have been an inspiration to and role model for German and independent proponents. But the story of what they specifically get right is not well understood in the English-speaking world. Now, American journalist Justin Gerdes has filled that gap with a short Kindle book. Craig Morris says it’s a must-read.

Germany gets all the attention with its Energiewende, but who do the Germans pay attention to? Denmark.(Photo by CGP Grey, modified, CC BY 2.0)

In late May, strikes reduced nuclear power production in France. Yet even more plants were offline a few weeks earlier without any strikes at all. German and European renewable electricity may have been one reason why France switched off so many nuclear plants that weekend. Craig Morris takes a look.

The Danes announced plans in May to cut back on the cost and speed of their energy transition. The debate sounds practically identical to the one in Germany, where the government also aims to slow down its Energiewende. But a Danish expert says Denmark remains on course. Craig Morris investigates.

The Danish government in Copenhagen plans to fund renewables trough taxes rather than through electricity consumption. (Public domain)

This month, the German government met with state representatives but failed to reach an agreement. The second meeting is scheduled for May 31. At the moment, both sides have simply agreed to disagree. Berlin wants to dramatically slow down the energy transition, and some states will have none of it. Craig Morris explains.

Up to now, public support for wind power has been very strong in Germany. But recent changes to German law have encouraged local groups that oppose wind farms. The relegation of competence from the national to the state level means that smaller groups have a larger impact. Craig Morris explains.

Last week, the EU General Court sided with the European Commission in all respects. At issue were German feed-in tariffs and the industry exemption to the surcharge that finances them. Craig Morris spoke with two of Germany’s experts on the issue: Severin Fischer and Matthias Lang.

In April, a renewable energy auction in the United Arab Emirates produced an astonishingly low price. At 2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour, solar power suddenly costs half as much as it did a year ago. It has thus practically reached the level experts hoped for 2030. Craig Morris explains.

A winning bid of a record-low 5.8 cents in Dubai drew international attention in late 2014. (Photo by Tim.Reckmann, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

After surpassing 80 percent renewable electricity for a few hours last year, Germany may have briefly reached around 95 percent on May 8. But the news is not only cause for celebration – a boundary has also been crossed. We are now entering the hard territory. Craig Morris explains.

Six months after the Chernobyl accident, Klaus Müschen and Erika Romberg – two researchers at the newly founded Öko-Institut – summarized previously published energy scenarios on nuclear in the institute’s Energiewende book entitled Electricity without nuclear. Craig Morris takes a look.

Germany completed its fourth round of auctions for ground-mounted photovoltaics this month, and the government is pleased with the outcome in light of the continued falling prices. The Undersecretary in Germany’s Energy Ministry also speaks of “intense competition” as a positive outcome. The other side of that coin is a lot of losing bids – not to mention those who didn’t bother to take part. Craig Morris explains.

30 years ago, Chernobyl made the public fear radioactivity, thereby setting back the progress of nuclear technology – most articles you read today about the accident probably say something along those lines. For Craig Morris, that reading is a major accomplishment for the nuclear sector. The real story looks much worse.

Reactor 4 under the “sarcophag” with the monument in front of it. (Photo by Tila Monto, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Don’t add Germany to the list of countries officially considering banning sales of cars running on gasoline or diesel just yet. But several prominent people are pushing the government to take steps in this direction. One of them is Energiewende Undersecretary Rainer Baake. Craig Morris explains.

“Texas and California have too much renewable energy,” writes Technology Review this month. “California has too much solar power,” Vox.com chimes in. Nonsense, says Craig Morris, a political arrangement is being passed off as a technical issue. Stop protecting nuclear and coal; get rid of baseload.

A new piece by German economics daily Handelsblatt claims to shed light on the “dark side” of “Germany’s massive push into renewable energy.” It comes across as a strained attempt to find a cloud hidden behind a giant silver lining. But despite covering the topic quite broadly (the article has around 2,000 words), the article is nonetheless unbalanced: the examples given are unconvincing; the gaps, glaring. By Craig Morris.

Many people in Germany regularly demonstrate for the Energiewende and more renewables. A new Handelsblatt-article is now giving the impression, the Energiewende is killing industries. (Photo by Molgreen, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

How can public acceptance of utility projects be increased? Policymakers want to allow citizens to invest in such projects, but the focus is insufficient. Citizens want more than just financial benefits. By Craig Morris.

People come together in cooperatives to do the right thing, get to know each other, and create a sense of community. (Photo by Black Rock Solar, modified, CC BY 2.0)

On Thursday and Friday last week, the German Foreign Office invited dignitaries, business people, and the press to the second Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue. The event was roughly 50 percent larger than in the previous year. And once again, it revealed that not all decision-makers are on the same page when it comes to the global energy transition. Craig Morris explains.

Last year, the Energy Dialogue drew some 900 visitors, roughly twice as many as the organizers originally hoped for. This year, 1,300 people came. The main hall was bursting at the seams, so the discussions were streamed on large screens in adjacent rooms. Photo: Craig Morris.

For the past four years, the average retail power rate in Germany has been stable, even though the share of renewable electricity rose from nearly 25 percent to 32.5 percent. Clearly, renewables are now so competitive that fast growth no longer has a major cost impact – not even in Germany. Craig Morris explains.

Altough Germany prioritizes the more expensive offshore wind, the cost increase in the country is over. (Photo by Kim Hansen, modified, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Last week, German media reported that the shutdown of a reactor in Fessenheim, France, should have been classified at a level of greater danger. While the German media focus on the event itself, French media have turned the issue into a “he said, she said” dispute. The coverage reveals the tradition of transparency in Germany – and the lack thereof in France. By Craig Morris.

For months, Germany has been debating how to cover the cost of the country’s nuclear waste repositories. Just when you think an agreement has been reached, more proposals are put on the table. Craig Morris explains.

German energy sector historian Joachim Radkau says German utilities, originally skeptical of nuclear, were offered limited liability in order to enter the sector in the 1960s. Now, it seems their liability for decommissioning and disposal might also be limited when they leave the sector. Photo: Craig Morris

The news of the recent successful plasma experiment at a nuclear fusion research facility in Germany went wild on social media, but a lot of people wondered what kind of sense it makes for a country with a nuclear phase-out to be conducting research in nuclear fusion. In fact, Germany is a leader in nuclear fusion in two ways. Craig Morris explains.

A company called German Pellets has filed for insolvency. As recently as 2013, it was the largest pellet producer in the world. Low oil prices were given as one reason for this development, but that’s not all. Craig Morris reports.

Low oil and gas prices have put renewable heat under pressure – but the problems at German Pellets are to be found in-house. (Photo by Dierk Schaefer, modified, CC BY 2.0)

Natural gas is considered a better complement to wind and solar power than coal or nuclear both in terms of the flexibility of gas turbines and carbon emissions. But gas prices in Germany have remained high in recent years, and the carbon price has been too low to incentivize a switch from coal to gas. Now, there are signs that gas turbines are once again profitable. Craig Morris reports.

The low gas price is making natural gas profitable even at a very low number of operating hours. (Photo by Marek Ślusarczyk, modified, CC BY 3.0)

Global installation figures are rolling in for wind and PV, and they look fantastic. The future is also bright: the forecast is for further growth. Single countries used to dominate these markets, but increasingly everyone is building. In fact, developing countries now invest more in renewables than the developed world does. Craig Morris takes a look.

With their large capacity added, the big countries get all the attention. But there is a renewable energy movement everywhere. (Photo by Asian Development Bank, modified, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

We recently wrote about record wind power production in 2015, which was partly due to windy conditions. But a lot of new capacity was also added. Unfortunately, the rush reflects the storm before the calm; the onshore sector in particular fears the switch to auctions. Craig Morris explains.

Germany now has around 41.7 gigawatts of wind power installed, equivalent to more than half of peak power demand. (Photo by Jumanji Solar, modified, CC BY 2.0)

Two weeks ago, the German Energy Ministry published its official review of the first three rounds of pilot auctions for ground-mounted PV. It is already clear that the policy will be expanded – the shortcomings of the auctions are not even mentioned. Craig Morris investigates.

The renewables sector, which community projects have dominated up to now, is currently being handed back to conventional energy companies. (Photo by Jan Boedecker, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

It’s official: more money was invested in renewables and more generation capacity added in 2015 than ever before. Conventional wisdom has always been that low fossil fuel prices would make renewables uncompetitive even as the cost of renewable energy continues to drop. In that view, fossil fuel prices drive investments in renewables. It’s not happening, however, so maybe it’s time to consider the reverse paradigm: renewables driving fossil fuel prices. Craig Morris investigates.

A new study published by the Öko-Institut investigates Germany’s historical expenses for renewable electricity – and solar power in particular. In passing, the study highlights Germany’s contribution to the current low price of solar power worldwide. Craig Morris looks into the matter.

“The Germans were not really buying power — they were buying a price decline,” Hal Harvey, a US clean energy expert. (Photo by Rainer Lippert)

Last year, wind power production in Germany increased by around 50 percent – and the country already had the third largest fleet of wind turbines worldwide. But the biggest improvement is in minimum power production. Your German word for the day is “Dunkelflaute.” Craig Morris reports.

2015 was the first year of significant offshore wind power production in Germany. (Photo by Ad Meskens, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Last week, we discussed changes in the German power sector in 2015, particularly how Germany is scheduled to overshoot its target for green electricity. Today, we focus on all energy (power, heat, and motor fuels). To our surprise, the target of 18 percent renewable energy by 2020 is not out of reach. Craig Morris explains.

The progress in 2015 – an increase of possibly 1.8 percentage points – would be the largest in history if our calculation proves accurate. (Photo by Florian Gerlach, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

In 2015, Germany added more renewable electricity than ever before in a single year, bringing the share of green power in total supply up to 33 percent. But the government seems keen on slowing down this growth. What is really happening? Craig Morris investigates.

In 2004, Germany adopted a target of 20 percent renewable power by 2020. Critics thought it would be hard to reach. But five years before that deadline, renewables rarely fall below the old target, which has since been raised. Craig Morris takes a look.

The level of 20 percent renewable electricity production – once thought hard to reach by 2020 – has become hard to fall below in 2015. (Photo by Hans Hillewaert, modified, CC BY-SA 4.0)

A recent editorial at Reuters charged that German nuclear policy is uncoordinated, particularly because the cost of nuclear waste disposal is still unclear. In reality, Merkel’s 2011 phase-out was a return to a former plan only briefly abandoned. And Germany’s phase-out budget looks pretty good internationally. Craig Morris explains.

The nuclear decommissioning and repository fund is the original sin of Germany’s nuclear phase-out. (Photo by Holger Weinandt, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

The Poles have limited power imports from Germany in order to reduce “loop flows” through the country. Now, grid experts at the European Network of Transmission System Operators (Entso-e) warn that the country may no longer have generation and power import capacity to meet demand. By Craig Morris.

Energy poverty is sometimes held to be related to renewable energy. In reality, the cost of fossil energy for heat and motor fuels plays a larger role – as do general poverty levels. Most of all, statistics are hard to compare, and Germany combats poverty, not merely “energy poverty.” Craig Morris takes a look.

Stanford’s Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi made headlines at the end of November for their pronouncement that 100 percent renewable energy is possible in most countries. The publication came out in time for the COP 21 conference in Paris. The findings do not overlap with what researchers in Germany publish. Craig Morris explains.

Two Frauenhofer studies produced numbers far from what the Stanford researchers reached. (Photo by Mat Fascione, modified, CC BY-SA 2.0)

[UPDATE] Record wind power production put German wind farms in the pole position last month, though critics will still complain that two types of coal counted separately should be counted together. By Craig Morris.

In Germany, wind power generation reached unknown heights this November.

Friends of the Earth International and the Heinrich Böll Foundation (which runs this website) have joined forces to produce an international version of the Coal Atlas originally published in German earlier this year. Craig Morris reports.

The Coal Atlas offers insights into the role, risks and future of coal in energy systems around the world.

The German Network Agency has published an overview of power curtailment in 2014. While the level has reached a new high, it is still in line with what is normal in other countries. Craig Morris takes a look.

People who want to change the world need to understand why some campaigns are successful while others aren’t. One US commentator has investigated the Keystone campaign’s success in this respect. The overlapping with the German nuclear phase-out is salient. By Craig Morris.

Researchers from Fraunhofer ISE have published a new report investigating the net cost of Germany’s energy transition. The good news is that the German government’s current goals are likely to be affordable. The bad news is that 100 percent renewable energy is less so.

In terms of cost, there is a huge difference between an 85% and a 100% renewable energy system.

Europeans fear that the TTIP free trade agreement between the United States and the EU would water down their environmental standards, but the recent diesel emissions scandal shows that the opposite could be the case. Craig Morris explains.

Germany is the country with the most photovoltaics installed worldwide. A new study now says that solar in combination with batteries would allow a lot more PV to be installed. Craig Morris says the investigation confirms his worst fears.

Battery storage for PV can provide benefits to individual households – but is it actually economically desirable on the grid level?

Like all Western countries, France has an aging fleet of nuclear reactors. If it does not extend the service lives of its existing fleet, it will have to build new reactors. Otherwise, the country will have an undeclared nuclear phaseout. Craig Morris explains.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has added a new section on power trading to its Energy Charts website. Craig Morris says it dispels the myth that Germany is dumping excess renewable electricity on neighboring countries at low prices.

Germany is not giving away free electricity, in fact its net exports earn the country almost €2 billion.

Swedish utility Vattenfall is looking for a buyer for its lignite assets in Germany. In addition to interest from the Czech Republic, environmentalists would like to take over the assets – in order to leave them in the ground. Craig Morris reports.

Vattenfall-owned open pit mine in Saxony. Greenpeace wants to invest here in order to divest. (Photo by Julian Nitzsche, modified, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The German government has announced the (modest) progress being made with grid expansions. Further delays are expected. Nonetheless, German electricity reliability remains at a high level. But what about those reports of grid operators frantically intervening to prevent blackouts? Craig Morris reports.

Even without the planned grid expansions, Germany has one of the most reliable grids worldwide. (Photo by Alexrk2, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

As in other countries, German industry can be asked to change power consumption in order to stabilize the grid. Now, it turns out that the policy option is used so seldom that it is to be done away with – another sign that the concern about fluctuating renewables on the grid may be exaggerated. Craig Morris reports.

Energy generation is fluctuating more due to renewables – one way to deal with this is demand management. But currently, the market for industry demand management is not big enough.

Foreign onlookers are interested to know what lessons can be learned from Germany’s energy transition. In a recent article, a German energy sector executive drew conclusions for the outside world themselves. Craig Morris can’t follow the logic.

“In Germany right now, you see a market distorted by political changes, unpredictable changes” – really? (Photo by David Iliff, modified, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Charges that Germany is cutting down its own and possibly the world’s forests for its Energiewende continue to crop up. But it turns out that the amount used to generate power is small – and almost all of it seems to be waste recovery. Craig Morris looks into the issue.

It is important to differentiate between waste wood and fresh timber. (Photo by Dan Hogben, modified, CC BY 2.0)

A new study finds that Germany has physical space for roughly 50 percent more onshore wind capacity than the country would need for 100 percent green electricity – and the official target is only 80 percent. Craig Morris takes a look.

Sheep grazing below a ground-mounted solar array in Bavaria: people who say solar arrays and wind farms take up space should remember dual usage. (Photo by Craig Morris)

Proponents of renewables (including this website) often praise “energy democracy.” Nonetheless, hard data on the benefits are few and far between. Now, a new study provides an overview. Craig Morris reports.

Some foreign onlookers predict that Volkswagen’s emissions fraud will discredit German climate efforts. German climate campaigners see the event as an opportunity to bring the energy transition to the transport sector, as Craig Morris writes.

How big of a problem is the Volkswagen scandal really? Could it be an opportunity for the Energiewende? (Photo by Christopher Dombres, modified, CC BY 2.0)

The news has hardly been reported in English yet, but the new conservative governing coalition elected in Denmark this summer plans to abandon the country’s ambitious targets for a carbon-free economy. The move could provide a precedent for Germany. Craig Morris reports.

Germany’s energy transition is mainly one thing: an electricity transition. Little is happening with transportation and heat. Now, the German government has proposed new rules for cogeneration. Craig Morris says the reception can be summed up in one word: disappointing.

Municipal cogeneration plants aren’t only efficient, they can also look elegant, as this plant in Swabia proves. (Photo by Bene16, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A recent survey conducted among the German public finds continuing support for the Energiewende. Furthermore, only a third said the cost was too high. Craig Morris says a closer look also reveals that people who already have systems close by are less likely to oppose them.

Solar power plants enjoy the highest support of all electricity generation systems – particularly from those ones living close-by. (Photo by Ben Cavanna, CC BY-SA 3.0)

In a recent blog post, Craig Morris talked about how the Spanish and Italian wind and solar markets have recently collapsed. Today, he turns his attention to the UK, where the future also looks bleak. And he says renewable energy campaigners should demand “fair payment” and reject the term “subsidy.”

While the world celebrates unprecedented renewable capacity additions, there are clear signs that this growth stops for wind and solar at a small share of the market. Italy and Spain are perfect examples for this, explains Craig Morris.

A new study is making the rounds. It puts the price tag for renewable electricity higher than ever before. And it makes the same mistake as other high estimates – no subsequent savings are subtracted from these calculations. What happens if we do that? Craig Morris investigates.

If you want to calculate the net cost of the Energiewende, you can’t only look at expenses, you have to look at the savings too.

The Swiss and Danish electricity sectors have quite a bit in common. Both are flooded with electricity from all sides. Yet, their power mixes are very different. The Danes have mainly wind and coal; the Swiss, primarily nuclear and hydro. The power lines were mainly built for coal and nuclear. Craig Morris takes a look.

The summer is drawing to a close in Europe, and it was one of the hottest ever. Thermal power plants (coal and nuclear) had to ramp down production in numerous countries due to a lack of cooling water, but the heat also affected solar power production. Craig Morris reports.

Low water levels and high temperatures, as the Middle Rhine experienced them this August, can force thermal power plants to reduce their output or shut down completely. (Photo by Franz Ferdinand Photography, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Billionaire Bill Gates claimed this summer that breakthroughs are needed for the energy transition and that funding should be diverted from current technologies towards R&D. Craig Morris wonders what would have become of Microsoft if we had waited for Ultrabooks before buying computers.

If you always wait for the next big thing to go on sale, you will never actually purchase any piece of technology. But if we hadn’t purchased the computers shown above, we wouldn’t have gotten the great stuff we use today.

French think tank négaWatt published a study back in 2011 investigating how the country could switch almost completely to renewable energy. Now, the analysis and an overview of charts has been made available in English. Craig Morris investigates.

Parisians know best that not having a car but spending time with friends instead can be pretty luxurious. (Photo by Gideon, CC BY 2.0)

Over the weekend, protesters entered coalfields outside of Cologne as a part of the Ende Gelände campaign (loosely translated: “terminal terrain”). The goal is to “keep coal in the ground.” Craig Morris wonders if the event, which unfortunately became violent, is the beginning of a successful divestment movement.

In the first half of 2015, more offshore wind power capacity was added in Germany than the country previously had. The government is reportedly considering raising its target for 2020. Craig Morris explains.

German think tank Agora Energiewende has produced a paper showing the lack of transparency for grid data. Proponents of distributed renewable energy have complained for years that they cannot verify the need for new grid lines. Craig Morris explains.

If possible grid expansions are to enjoy political legitimacy, the necessity for new grid lines has to be made transparent. (Photo by Ralph Kuehnl, CC BY 2.0)

As a part of our annual update, we have created a few new charts and updated some old ones. The Energiewende story has also been updated to reflect the latest data and policy developments from 2014. Craig Morris focuses on a single chart today. Since October, the underlying analysis could have been updated, but – tellingly – no one has seen fit to do so.

Critics of the Energiewende only cared about power prices and their impact on social equity as long as it suited their agenda. (Uwe Schlick / pixelio.de)

In July, Germany may have had more solar power than nuclear power for the first time in history – much sooner than anyone expected. It was a close race, and nuclear is likely to retake the lead for the foreseeable future. Craig Morris explains.

Most of the talk about high energy prices in Germany focuses only on retail electricity rates. But firms pay different power prices, and their expenses on energy may focus more on fossil fuels for heat than electricity. Furthermore, German labor is expensive and may often be a bigger budget item than energy. Craig Morris summarizes the findings of two recent studies.

Germany exported as many goods in 2014 as never before. (Copyright: AUDI AG )

On July 25, Germany surpassed the old record of 74 percent renewable electricity. But perhaps the most interesting aspect is power trading between France and Germany on that day. Craig Morris explains.

The Carbon Tracker Initiative and Energy Transition Advisors recently published recommendations for fossil fuel companies to manage a future in which their assets will be stranded. Craig Morris investigates.

The WWF and German renewable power provider Lichtblick have joined forces to produce an overview of five ways in which the entire world is transitioning to renewables. Craig Morris reviews the five megatrends, which were published only in German.

In recent years, the increasing competitiveness of wind and solar power has been widely hailed. But there is a cloud to this silver lining – power production does not match power demand. As a result, the actual value of wind and solar power will decrease as we get more of it. Craig Morris says policymakers should pay attention.

The more solar and wind power we have, the more important it becomes to match power demand.

The plan to implement a sort of national carbon emissions trading scheme specifically to clamp down on electricity from lignite is now officially dead. Last night, the German government adopted a different plan with a broader focus. Aside from the coal sector, no one seems to like it. Craig Morris investigates.

Because biomass can be used not only to generate electricity, but also as a source of heat and motor fuel, it makes up the largest chunk of renewable energy in most countries by far. Craig Morris says, however, that the growth of biomass is largely over in Germany.

It’s back again – the claim that Germany will rely on foreign base load, especially nuclear, in its energy transition. Craig Morris wonders why proponents of nuclear power understand the technology and markets so poorly.

Turns out that the myth of German dependence on French nuclear is not much more than hot air: Even when German power demand reaches its peak, it exports power to France. (Photo by Les Meloures, CC BY-SA 1.0)

And then there were eight… This weekend, the Grafenrheinfeld nuclear plant in northern Bavaria will shut down permanently. It is the first nuclear plant to close since 2011.

Replacing the power produced by the reactor in Grafenrheinfeld is not a problem by itself – but the Bavarian government is currently unwilling to consider alternatives. (Photo by pilot_micha, CC BY-NC 2.0)

With Tesla’s announcement of battery storage systems for households, storage for photovoltaics has become a major news item. Furthermore, one of the main questions about the energy transition is how the grid will be stabilized without central power plants. Craig Morris visited German battery firm Younicos and got an answer to this question.

Batteries are a key technology for a decarbonized world. (Photo: Craig Morris)

German utilities have gone on a shopping spree, taking over struggling planning firms to gain sorely needed expertise and assets. The trend can be heralded as a sign that these firms are finally taking part in the energy transition – or as a potential threat to the community cooperative movement that fostered the Energiewende all along. Craig Morris says the fate of Prokon is exemplary in this respect.

Prokon investors will get a second chance – and can choose between two scenarios with very different implications.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) recently deepened its investigation into retail and commercial power customers using solar and battery storage instead of the grid. Craig Morris says the study is especially useful because it shows utilities that fighting the trend will only make things worse.

Going off-grid is becoming realistic for US customers, especially with increasingly efficient house designs.

While Germany roars ahead with renewable electricity, too little is happening with heat and transportation. Now, a study finds that Germany is likely not only to miss its carbon reduction target by the end of this decade, but also the target for the share of renewables in all energy. Craig Morris says the Germans are clearly stumbling through their Energiewende – and that’s good news for other countries going down a similar path.

If Germany wants to fulfill its climate targets, it needs to be more ambitious with heat and transport.

Today, 12 European Council Energy Ministers signed a joint declaration for closer collaboration in the electricity sector. Craig Morris says it may help assuage criticism that Germany is “going it alone” with its Energiewende.

By 2030, Germany will gradually no longer have to pay for its most expensive solar arrays installed at the beginning of this decade. But the power will probably still be generated. Craig Morris investigates the probable impact.

What will happen with German rooftop solar installations after they start falling out of the feed-in tariff? (Photo by Túrelio, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

A recent paper by Berlin-based think tank Agora Energiewende finds that Germany is paying now for cost reductions in the future. While other countries can expect rising power costs, German costs will stabilize and then begin to drop in the 2030s. Craig Morris explains.

In 2015, the average German household power bill fell slightly from 85 euros to 84 euros per month. What’s more, that level is relatively low compared to US averages. But Craig Morris says comparisons are not easy.

A lot of American households have higher electricity bills than their German counterparts. (Photo by alliecat1881, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Last year, Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) published a survey of the BRICS countries, revealing their opinions on Germany’s energy transition. In April, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) followed up with a study focusing on developing countries. Craig Morris reports.

Germany’s Energiewende has lead the way, now developing countries around the world are embarking on their own energy transitions. (Photo by Isofoton.es, CC BY 3.0)

What difference does policy make? Craig Morris says that a comparison of the low prices for installed solar arrays in Germany with more expensive arrays in the US is a good way to start answering that question.

At the beginning of April, British climate NGO Sandbag published a press release entitled “For the first time, 4 out of 5 largest EU emitters are German lignite producers.” A shift took place between the fifth and sixth positions because the British Drax coal plant increasingly runs on imported biomass. Craig Morris says paying more attention to producers and less to consumers would help us see the issue in a clearer light.

The British government seems willing to pay high prices not only for new nuclear, but also for renewables. Given the country’s amazing wind conditions, it does indeed seem that the British are overpaying for wind power in particular. Craig Morris thinks he knows why.

The German government wants to limit emissions from coal plants that are more than 20 years old. Why the age demarcation? Why not just limit total emissions – or phase out coal entirely? Craig Morris says some clever Realpolitik is behind it. Best of all, it’s working.

Clouds loom over lignite power production in Germany – but what could become a burden for big utilities, might help a number of others. (Photo by Marcel Oosterwijk, CC BY-SA 2.0)

We need to leave carbon in the ground. Yet, carbon emissions are counted at the source of consumption, not the source of extraction. Craig Morris says the different approach would put countries like Scotland, Norway, and Denmark in a much different light.

Out of sight, out of mind? The extraction of oil and gas does not count into Norway’s carbon emissions. (Photo by tjodolv, CC BY 2.0)

Over the Easter break, French daily Le Monde reported that an official study for a conference to be held last week was being held back. The energy experts investigated a 100 percent renewable supply of electricity by 2050. Craig Morris got hold of a copy, which still lacks an executive summary. So he wrote one.

France has the potential for 100% renewable electricity – but the subject is too touchy for the country’s political leaders.

The southeastern German state of Bavaria is arguably not much of a team player in the Energiewende. The state government does not want wind turbines, and opposition to new power lines ostensibly to bring in wind power from the north is fiercest among Bavarians. One proposal to fill the power gap is gas turbines. Craig Morris points out a few reasons why the strategy seems unrealistic.

Single wind turbine in Munich – the Bavarian government blocks further wind power and power lines development. (Photo by Thomas Wojcik, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Siemens spent half a billion euros developing the most efficient gas turbine in the world. Last year, it sold no electricity at all, but was only used to stabilize the grid. Now, the unit is to be taken off the market and put into standby reserve next year. Craig Morris says the story shows how important it is not to confuse engineers with policymakers.

Even the most efficient turbine in the world needs to shut down if it doesn’t produce what the energy market needs. (Photo by www.siemens.com/presse)

Two weeks ago, the German government sent its bill for shale gas production to Parliament for approval. And once again, we read both that Germany has banned and approved fracking. Craig Morris explains what is really going on.

The results of the survey published in German in February were made available in English (PDF) last month. They show overwhelming international skepticism towards the German Energiewende. Craig Morris says the findings are in line with the WEC’s tradition of skepticism towards renewables. And a comparison of previous WEC surveys on the Energiewende is illustrative.

If Germany managed to start an energy transition despite its mediocre natural conditions, so can countries like Brazil or China at lower cost today. (Photo by Carla Wosniak, CC BY 2.0)

Germany aims to reduce its energy consumption by 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2005. It sounds like a fanciful target, especially if the country continues to grow economically. But in reality, Craig Morris says, there are two simple steps to this goal, which do not seem so magical once you know them.

Technical solutions like passive house designs are available, but there is a lack of political courage to tackle untapped efficiency potential in the heating and transport sector. (Photo by Green Energy Futures, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

One of Germany’s political foundations, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, has produced a video in English explaining the term “energy democracy” to North Americans. It was made in cooperation with labor unions and thus focuses on job creation. Craig Morris likes the presentation but fears some main points might not be highlighted enough.

The future of energy could be democratic. (Screenshot of the video under fair use)

On March 26 and 27, the German Foreign Office held a high-level conference on the Energiewende in Berlin, subtitled “towards a global Energiewende.” Energy Ministers and Foreign Ministers from a number of countries attended. Craig Morris reports.

The conference attracted participants from more than 50 countries. (Source: www.energiewende2015.com)

A paper leaked last week reveals the German government’s plans to clamp down on emissions from coal power. But the plans are not a done deal – the meeting on Thursday, which was originally to be held last Saturday, has been boycotted once again. By Craig Morris.

Don’t get your hopes up for a swift German coal phaseout just yet. (Photo by smitty42, CC BY-ND 2.0)

In his previous post, Craig Morris began his summary of the 1985 book entitled (in German) The Energiewende is possible. Today, he sheds light on how the trend towards large power plants created unnecessary costs in the process – although more efficient distributed cogeneration was an alternative.

In 1985, German researchers at a newly founded institute called Öko-Institut published a book called “The Energiewende is possible” investigating why no progress had been made since the original proposal five years earlier. Craig Morris says the book’s analysis can be summed up in one word: brilliant.

In the last century, a few big utilities dominated the German power production – bringing into existence the centralized power market structure as we know it today.

German renewable energy lobby organization AEE has published another meta-study, this time reviewing the wide range of scientific investigations into power storage. As Craig Morris explains, the main finding is in line with other recent publications – storing excess renewable electricity from the summer for the winter will not be necessary for a while.

In their last post, Craig Morris and Arne Jungjohann show the impressive overlapping between French and German energy goals. Today, they investigate historic targets for nuclear and renewables in the two countries. One key finding is that French nuclear history is not properly understood.

France has a long history of nuclear power – but the program missed its ultimate goals. (Photo by energy.gov)

According to a study published in January, only 29 citizen energy cooperatives were founded in Germany last year. The German Citizen Energy Alliance says the low number is a sign that the energy sector is being handed back to big business. Craig Morris investigates.

The Energiewende is a democratic movement – but the wind has turned for citizen cooperatives. (Photo by GLSystem, CC BY-SA 3.0)

After an article in Euractiv claimed that the German government had approved fracking, the Guardian made a few phone calls, including to a French campaigner. Craig Morris says that German media have remained silent on the matter for good reason – the news item is a canard.

A study published by German university researchers for German engineering firm Siemens finds that the renewable power installations built since Fukushima have not affected the retail rate, but they have brought down wholesale rates considerably. Energy-intensive industry has benefited the most. But Craig Morris says there is something for the nuclear camp to criticize.

Without renewables, the German phase-out of nuclear that (re-)started in 2011 would have been much more costly, especially for industrial consumers. (Photo by Doblonaut, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

In mid-January, German State Secretary in the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Rainer Baake spoke at a Handelsblatt conference about the future power market design. We need to get used to a few new terms, Craig Morris explains why.

Baake giving some insight in the government’s ideas for the future power market design. (Photo by EUROFORUM/Dietmar Gust)

As requested by Brussels, Germany is taking the first steps to switch from feed-in tariffs to a system of reverse auctions by 2017. This year, the first rounds will be held for photovoltaics. Craig Morris investigates.

Reverse auctions will account for up to 500MW of new PV development in Germany this year. (Photo by pgegreenenergy, CC BY 2.0)

The big news from Germany in the energy sector in January is the government’s apparent rejection of a capacity market. But energy giant E.ON says the issue will not go away. Craig Morris explains why Germany is likely to get a small capacity market through the backdoor.

One block of the coal power plant in Mannheim is part of the strategic reserve for this winter.

On 20 March 2015, a partial solar eclipse will pass over Germany. Craig Morris says the impact will provide a glimpse of a future in which most households not only have solar roofs, but also battery storage.

What does a solar eclipse have in common with battery storage? More than one might think, at least for PV. (Photo by Schtone, CC BY-SA 3.0)

In 2014, installations of new photovoltaic arrays in Germany fell to almost a quarter of the level sustained from 2010 to 2012. Craig Morris says the performance nonetheless remains impressive relative to the size of the German grid.

For new PV installations to be profitable, owners have to look for creative solutions like direct consumption in Germany. (Photo by Kauk0r, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Have you been naughty or nice this year? If you were the former, congratulations – you just helped the federal budget. As Craig Morris points out, our efforts to do the right thing have a hidden price tag – they reduce tax revenue. Most of all, he wonders why more people haven’t asked for the thing he wants for everyone from Santa this year.

And then there were three… E.ON, one of Germany’s Big Four utilities, is selling its conventional power plant fleet. Is this a special case, or is E.ON setting an example for the other utilities? Craig Morris investigates.

Utilities heavily invested in natural gas are suffering most – E.ON was one of them. (Source : Dominik Zehatschek/E.ON)

Yesterday, Chancellor Merkel’s cabinet officially adopted a set of new laws to help the country reach its 2020 carbon emissions reduction target of 40 percent relative to 1990. Craig Morris says the winner is… efficiency!

E.ON, one of Germany’s two biggest power providers, announced over the weekend that it plans to sell its conventional power plants and focus on renewables, the grid, and “customer solutions.” Craig Morris says the real message has been overlooked.

E.ON’s management presenting their historic decision to split up the company in order to avoid further losses in the conventional power market. (Source: E.ON)

This month, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the European Climate Foundation presented a study conducted by Germany’s Institute for Economic Research (DIW). It found that Germany could reduce its carbon emissions considerably and stabilize the power market by shutting down numerous coal plants. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether the government will heed the findings, as Craig Morris explains.

Starting a coal phaseout is great for the climate, great for EU industry policy, great for the German utilities and good for renewables – but utilities need to be pushed by politics first. (Photo by Kateer, CC BY-SA 2.5)

One benefit of Germany’s energy transition is supposed to be technological innovations. The new superconductor currently being tested in Essen is a good example of how the Energiewende could ensure German technological leadership. Craig Morris says the project also shows what the future looks like for large utilities.

Superconductors might make many transformer stations obsolete. (Photo by wdwd, CC BY 3.0)

Over the past few years, Italy has made tremendous progress with renewables. In fact, despite all the differences, the similarities with Germany are striking, both in terms of progress and obstacles. Craig Morris spoke with Giuseppe Onufrio, head of Greenpeace Italy.

Rome – a city that has reinvented itself continuously over the past few millennia in a country that is itself undergoing a swift energy transition. Photo: Craig Morris

A cooperative in Flanders is wildly successful. But the Belgian co-op is two things at once: a builder of renewables and a power provider to its investors – a rare combination in Germany. Craig Morris looks at Ecopower’s success.

Last week, the Czech government proposed a bill, which is now to be reviewed in Parliament. The renewables community is speaking of a step in the right direction, but the battle is still uphill, as a sociologist explained at a conference our Craig Morris attended.

Relicts of the Czech solar boom that has since been restricted due to politics – will renewables get a second chance? (Photo by Karelj, CC BY 3.0)

A new meta-study published by German renewables organization AEE reviews around a dozen recent studies on power generation costs from both renewable and conventional energy sources. The trend is clear, and one of the studies is a clear outlier. Craig Morris explains.

In his previous post, Craig Morris talks about how the renewable surcharge will drop for the first time in 2015. But there is another interesting aspect to the issue. Germany allows transmission grid operators (TSOs), rather than a government entity, to calculate the charge. For the EU, that distinction is the difference between legal and illegal.

Wind Power in France: While the legal differences are rather subtle, the European Court of Justice ruled against the French Feed-In Tariff while allowing the more market-based German one. (Photo by Pinpin, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The outcome was roughly predictable at least as far back as January, but today Germany’s four transit grid operators (TSOs) announced the specific figure for the renewables surcharge for 2015. But the decrease is so small that retail rates might not even be affected. Will the government at least admit its new policies are not the reason? Craig Morris investigates.

The renewable energy surcharge will shrink in 2015, possibly lowering consumer prices – but the government should not boast this as their success. (Photo by Rudolpho Duba / pixelio.de)

The European Commission just gave the go-ahead to a strike price for new nuclear power in the UK – essentially feed-in tariffs. Since it is adjusted for inflation, how can it be estimated over a period of 35 years? Craig Morris investigates.

Power from Hinkley Point C won’t cost the taxpayer 109€/MWh, but closer to 150-200€/MWh – which makes it even less competitive with renewables. (Photo by Richard Baker, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Over at Renew Economy, our colleague Giles Parkinson reviews a study by HSBC showing that “generators are to be the biggest losers” in the energy transition currently taking place worldwide. Today, Craig Morris talks about what that looks like in Germany.

Photo of better days in the early 90s – conventional German power plants have increasing difficulties to stay profitable. (Photo by Rainer Weisflog, Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-1990-0629-013, CC-BY-SA)

Regular readers of this blog have a good overview of how North America and the UK view Germany’s energy transition, but what do emerging economies think? The Konrad Adenauer Foundation has taken some comprehensive surveys. Craig Morris investigates.

The German Energiewende’s success isn’t its domestic impact, but being an international leader that proofs that a swift transition to renewables is viable. (Photo by GovernmentZA, CC BY-ND 2.0)

A new study by Fraunhofer IWES investigates how much natural gas could be offset by renewables and efficiency, and one graphic indicates the implicit message that the energy transition could make Germany independent of gas imports from Russia by 2030. Craig Morris investigates.

Heat image of an apartment building – energy efficiency in the housing stock will play a big role if Germany wants to achieve partial or total independence of foreign gas. (Photo by Martin Abegglen, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Over the weekend, Germany’s Energieblogger met at SMA’s headquarters in Kassel for a barcamp to discuss the hottest topics in the renewables sector, do some strategic planning, and – most importantly – finally have a face-to-face chat with colleagues they otherwise only communicate with virtually. The group has grown tremendously over the past year and is now a major collective voice for the Energiewende. Craig Morris explains.

More than a marginal voice: About 50 Energy Bloggers attended this weekend’s meeting. (Photo: Craig Morris)

Craig Morris just spent three weeks in Berlin and other German cities speaking with a slew of energy experts off the record. Today, he talks about the nervous mood in the wake of the recent policy changes.

Is the German government using European policy changes as an excuse to turn away from a citizen-driven Energiewende? (Photo by amira_a, CC BY 2.0)

A recent article at Grist.com under this subtitle “biomass backward” charges that “the European Union and its well-intentioned clean energy rules” are the reason for “denuded fields in the South.” Craig Morris, himself a Southerner, says something about the situation certainly is backward. But he says progress will require a deal between the US and the EU.

Wood Pellets can be a green heating choice – if sourced locally and sustainably. (Photo by Amaza, CC0 1.0)

If it takes too much energy to make generators of renewable energy relative to what these units produce, the energy transition will not be possible. A new study by nuclear researchers finds that the need for storage and backup makes the EROI of renewables too low. Craig Morris investigates.

King of renewables: Hydro power is the most efficient power source in terms of energy payback. (Photo by Rufus46, CC BY-SA 3.0)

In January, Eurosolar produced a memorandum during the debate about changes to German energy policy. Craig Morris says the discrepancies and overlapping between the memorandum and what actually became law in August shows where there is disagreement and general consensus.

Offshore wind power continues to be oversubsidized – one of the things Eurosolar criticized during negotiations for the current EEG. (Photo by Martina Nolte, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

In August, the Bundesrechnungshof (BRH), which reviews the federal government’s finances, found that the Energiewende is proceeding without proper coordination. Up to now, there have only been press reports about leaked versions of the paper, which has yet to be made public. Craig Morris reviews what we know.

The German Bundesrechnungshof says the Energiewende is too expensive – but does not make many suggestions on how to make it cheaper. (Photo by Eckhard Henkel, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE)

A recent Time article entitled “Germans happily pay more for renewable energy. But would others?” has a refreshing focus but makes obvious mistakes. Craig Morris says it also shows how hard a time the Anglo world has properly understanding the Energiewende.

Germans continue to support the Energiewende, because its benefits are spread democratically. (Photo by Rudolpho Duba / pixelio.de)

One of the reasons to be a first mover is technological leadership. Germany is recognized as such a first mover in wind power, biomass, and solar. New data reveal the extent to which Germany has succeeded, as Craig Morris explains.

The majority of renewable technology produced in Germany is exported. In the photo: Container Terminal in Hamburg. (Photo by Tobias Mandt, CC BY 2.0)

It’s bad news for the folks insisting that renewables are wreaking havoc on the grid – last year, the average number of minutes of power outages in Germany fell below the already leading level of 2012 and below the average over the past seven years. Craig Morris looks into the situation.

Even though critics often paint scary scenarios, growth in renewable energy and grid stability are no opposites at all. (Photo by David Iliff, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Germany may not have much sun, but it is positioning itself to sell products to those who do. But while some solar manufacturers continue to struggle, German patent registrations have boomed in recent years – not only for solar, but for wind power as well. Craig Morris investigates.

The German renewable energy law helped stimulate innovation as the number of patents registered on renewable energy technology multiplied. (Photo from www.siemens.com/press)

This is big news – for the first time, French labour union General Confederation of Labor (CGT) has spoken out clearly for the closure of France’s oldest nuclear plant. The reasons given argue against nuclear in general. Craig Morris investigates.

The pro-nuclear coalition in France continues to crumble, as biggest French union CGT debates its position on nuclear and further operation of Fessenheim nuclear plant. (Photo by Florival fr, CC BY SA 3.0)

The German Industry Ministry (BMWi) recently published a chart presenting an overview of the government’s roadmap up to the end of 2016. Craig Morris says it is encouraging to see how much wider the scope is than just the power sector, but he noticed that one thing is still missing.

While Germany’s Energiewende has picked up speed, efforts to make the transportation sector more sustainable seem to be stalled. (Photo by Radosław Drożdżewski, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The EU has provided 1 billion euros in funding in order to leverage another 0.9 billion in private investments for a major new carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in the UK. Craig Morris investigates why Energiewende’s supporters are not more enthusiastic.

The price of solar has plummeted in recent years, but as the share of solar on the grid increases, associated costs will be incurred: idling backup capacity, forecasting errors, etc. Now, leading US researchers have tried to put a price tag on those costs. Craig Morris says the situation they describe for 2027 looks a bit like Germany today.

PV installation above a parking lot of Arizona State University. PV is even more efficient in Arizona than in Germany, as solar irradiation is more than twice as high and solar power production is more aligned with daily power demand cycles. (Photo by Kevin Dooley, CC BY 2.0)

The Institute for Energy Research (IER) says angst is a main driver behind the Energiewende, which will fail to reduce emissions without shale gas, especially without nuclear. Craig Morris says some critics sound like they are a bit afraid themselves – that the Germans might pull off their transition without fracking or nuclear.

The biggest fear of critics of the Energiewende is not that it will fail – but that it will succeed. (Photo by Günter Hentschel, CC BY-ND 2.0)

Two German research organizations have investigated claims that low US power prices might entice German firms to relocate. As Craig Morris reports, they found a mixed bag of enticements without a clear signal that German firms should leave.

Industrial consumers in Germany pay lower power prices than they would in Massachusetts and many other US states – while enjoying a more reliable grid. (Photo by gynti_46, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

It’s not easy to assess the impact of the Energiewende on industry. On the one hand, German wholesale power prices are lower than in neighboring countries and falling. On the other, we read that German industry pays above-average prices for power. Now, a study by Green Budget Germany (FÖS) provides a revealing comparison. Craig Morris investigates.

The world counts carbon emissions by country where fuels are combusted, i.e. where the CO2 is emitted. A new study shows how great the differences are when we count products consumed. Craig Morris takes a closer look at how Germany, the UK, Russia, China and France fared in the study.

Not only jobs are shipped overseas, but also our carbon footprint. (photo by Rob124, CC BY 2.0)

Over the past decade, German power firms made considerable investments in new conventional capacity. At the same time, German SMEs, energy cooperatives, and ordinary citizens made considerable investments in renewable generation capacity. The result is excess capacity. Craig Morris takes a look at some of the country’s energy experts who did not see this outcome coming.

The lights at the nuclear power station Grafenrheinfeld and other conventional power plants in Germany might go out faster than planned. One of the reasons: excess capacity. (Photo by MarcelG, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Depending on who you ask, Germany just imposed a temporary moratorium on fracking or just opened the floodgates for it. As always, the truth is somewhere in the middle, with opposing camps reading the worst into the facts for their own political campaigning. Craig Morris says the situation in Ukraine is illustrative.

Reports on German coal mining sometimes depict the destruction of villages as something new – and almost always as an ironic new outcome of the Energiewende. In reality, it’s a continuation of a century’s business as usual. And German citizens are not the defenseless anti-coal victims they are portrayed to be. In reality, it’s not easy to convince local communities affected by mining that renewables are a better option. Craig Morris investigates.

Surface coal mining is part of Germany’s contemporary energy landscape. But it isn’t the result of the Energiewende. (Photo by Bert Kaufmann, CC BY 2.0)

Why was a nuclear phaseout easier than a coal phaseout in Germany? This is one of the most frequently asked questions we hear. Craig Morris has an answer about the historic reasons – and it’s not what you’re expecting. For the potential of a future coal phaseout, he has co-authored a new study.

The terraced farmland of Kaiserstuhl near the Black Forest just a few minutes from Wyhl, where the grassroots Energiewende movement began in the 1970s. (Photo: Craig Morris)

Biomass is the largest source of renewable energy in Germany, but the German government has scaled back support in recent years. Under the amendments to the German Renewable Energy Act to become law in August, support would be reduced even further. Craig Morris investigates.

The lower house of the German Parliament voted nearly 80% in favor of the proposed amendments to Germany’s Renewable Energy Act (EEG) on the last Friday in June. Craig Morris takes a look at the main changes and examines why some people are upset, and others aren’t.

On June 27th, the German lower chamber voted in favour of the proposed reforms of the renewable energy law. ( (c) Deutscher Bundestag / Thomas Trutschel / photothek.net)

The recent IZES paper on proposals for Germany’s future energy policy provided an overview of how the switch to reverse auctions might look based on experience in other countries. Craig Morris says the outcome of the switch is obvious. Does it match the German government’s goal?

Bidding processes are used in various economic sectors, and with good reason. But do those reasons apply to the energy sector – and, in particular, to Germany’s energy transition goals? Craig Morris presents the findings in a recent study by IZES.

The UK utilises reverse auctions as a policy for renewables – at the same time, wind power is more expensive than in Germany. (Photo by Harald Pettersen/Statoil, CC BY 2.0)

A recent IZES study discusses specific energy policy models Germany could adopt if it discontinued feed-in tariffs as proposed by 2017. To see what policy design is best, we first have to define the goals. Craig Morris investigates.

Reverse auctions could lead to more centralized PV and fewer rooftop installations. (Photo by eclipse.sx, CC BY 2.5)

By 2017, Germany aims to do away with feed-in tariffs and switch to reverse auctions. A new study by the German Institute for Future Energy Systems (IZES) compares the two policies in a study (PDF in German) published in May. Craig Morris starts an overview of the discussion with the presentation of the background today.

Is Germany building new coal plants to replace nuclear despite the country’s green ambitions? Many observers conclude so. But an in-depth look reveals that the growth of renewables has more than replaced nuclear power over the past decade. Coal is not making a comeback in Germany. However, German policymakers should reduce the country’s coal dependency sooner than scheduled.

Given the continent’s reliance on Russia as a source of natural gas, would it not be logical for Europeans to start producing their own shale gas? After all, we have seen what the effects have been in the US with regards to energy prices. In March, researchers at E3G looked into the matter and found that the success of shale gas in the US is overstated and not transferable to Europe. Craig Morris investigates.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is sometimes touted as a promising technology for the future. But as Craig Morris points out, the technology is nothing new; it simply does not exist the way it is portrayed. Recent events in Canada and the US suggest that Germany’s lack of interest is sensible.

CCS is an expensive, untested end-of-pipe technology – the best carbon is the one that is not emitted at all. (Photo by Bodoklecksel, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Paris-based renewables organization REN21 has published the latest edition of its annual Global Status Report. The 2014 edition finds that, while Europe and North America have become roller coaster markets for renewables, developing and emerging countries have picked up the slack and could be the future leaders. Craig Morris investigates.

The price of PV has fallen dramatically since 2011, so overall expenditures are down – but don’t misunderstand this as less investment. More PV than ever is going up, especially in developing countries. (Graph by REN21)

China has set a goal of 12.5 GW of newly installed photovoltaics annually by 2017 – a level equivalent to more than a third of the global market in recent years. Japan is also booming. Craig Morris says the news is more than a light at the end of the tunnel for the solar sector – it’s the end of the tunnel.

Germany’s solar sector – rising like Phoenix from the Ashes? (Photo by Solarworld)

Everyone seems to agree that the renewables surcharge in Germany is a bad indicator of the cost of the country’s energy transition. Today, Craig Morris proposes a solution to the communications problem.

Calculating the different components of the renewables surcharge isn’t as trivial as it seems – differing interpretations are used by political actors for their purposes. (Gabi Eder / pixelio.de)

The Heinrich Böll Foundation, which also hosts this website, recently produced a 132-page study (PDF) entitled “Energiewende 2.0” on the future of Germany’s energy transition. In a recent post, Craig Morris summarized the findings. Today, he has a bone to pick with its portrayal of feed-in tariffs.

The German FiT is key to residential renewable development in Germany – whoever replaces the policy risks limiting energy democracy. (Photo by Wikswat, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A recent study (PDF) published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which funds this website, describes the debate surrounding the Energiewende. One of the arguments confused Craig Morris, but he was happy to read the author’s description of who’s complaining – and who isn’t.

Industry Minister Gabriel is sticking to his plans to have amendments to the country’s Renewable Energy Act finalized at the beginning of June. His critics charge that he is trying to get around the democratic debate.

King and Queen Coal: Industry Minister Sigmar Gabriel and his party collegue Hannelore Kraft, both Social Democrats, are known to be supporters of coal industry. Gabriel has been denouncing the Energiewende as too expensive for consumers to gather support for his policy reforms – but done little to make sure that falling wholesale electricity prices trickle down to consumers. (Photo by Moritz Kosinsky / Wikipedia)

The Dutch Green Party wants to have a Green Energy Union for renewables. But Craig Morris says the Dutch are learning the wrong lesson from Germany. He paraphrases Bill Clinton: “Its energy democracy, stupid!”

Over the weekend, there were reports of talks about the creation of a “bad bank” for German nuclear plants, which are to be shut down successively by the end of 2022. Critics charge that the proposal is yet another attempt to privatize profits and nationalize losses. But Craig Morris has a bit more understanding for the firms’ position.

Utilities should have built reserves for financing the dismantling of nuclear power plants and storage of nuclear waste – but want to socialize the cost now. (Photo by segovax / pixelio.de)

Germany set a new record on Sunday, May 11, by getting nearly three quarters of its electricity from renewable sources during a midday peak. Nonetheless, Craig Morris says the resulting negative prices are both good news and bad news.

On May 11th, power prices were negative for several hours in Germany. (Source: EPEX)

On May 1, the entire editorial board at the New York Times published an article revealing an astonishing unfamiliarity with easily accessible facts. The NYT argues that Germany’s energy transition proves that the world needs nuclear. Craig Morris explains.

Last week, the 18th International Passive House Conference took place. As the long tradition shows, this approach to architecture is nothing new; it was a proven success in the 1990s. The building sector unfortunately has not proactively adopted the Passive House Standard, choosing instead to wait until EU law essentially requires it at the turn of the next decade. Craig Morris investigates.

Passive Houses architecture a niche for residential buildings? Think Again! Even office towers can be built according to the Passive House Standard, as the RHW.2 office tower in Vienna proves. (Photo by Raiffeisen-Holding/Manfred Burger)

The Heinrich Boell Foundation’s Brussels office has published a study investigating the cost of a transition to renewable electricity. Craig Morris says the study impressively shows that individual renewable technologies are the best option, but he wonders if the study will convince all doubters.

Onshore Wind is already competitive with coal today – not to mention the ever rising cost for new nuclear power plants. (Photo by Alexander Franke)

It is ironic that there is so much talk about the Energiewende hurting Germany’s energy-intensive industry, for as Craig Morris points out these firms are the biggest winners in the German energy transition.

Steel made in Germany – cheaper thanks to the Energiewende (Photo by Alexander Franke)

Foreigners sometimes quote statements made by industry experts and politicians over the past decade to show that the country did indeed conscientiously build coal to replace nuclear. That’s true, but as Craig Morris explains the outcome was that, contrary to these expert expectations, renewables replaced nuclear, so we are now left with excess coal capacity. Part 2 of a 3-part series.

In 2011, Germany switched off 8 of its 17 nuclear plants. Since then, the country has made headlines not only for its campaign to reduce energy consumption and ramp up renewables – the “Energiewende” – but also for increasing production of coal power in 2013. So is Germany’s energy transition in reality more a switch to coal than to renewables? And is renewable electricity incapable of replacing the country’s nuclear power? Craig Morris investigates in part one of a three-part series.

Lignite-fired Boxberg Power Station in 2009 with the newly commissioned unit under construction on the left – exception or part of a bigger coal renaissance in Germany? (Photo by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0)

As Craig Morris explained last week, our website underwent its first major revision at the beginning of the year. Today, he presents and briefly explains some of the new charts.

Sigmar Gabriel is the new minister for the economy and the Energiewende. He was previously minister for the environment between 2005-2009. And as the German government and its policies change, this website will continue to be updated. (Photo by blu-news.org, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Today, the German coalition is meeting with governors of the 16 German states to discuss details of the highly anticipated amendment to the Renewable Energy Act (EEG). Craig Morris says the public – including the sectors affected – have practically no time to respond. What he really wants – but is unlikely to get – is an estimation of what is needed annually.

A coal power plant in Karlsruhe. (Photo by Andreas Zachmann, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The Energiewende continues to evolve, not only with new data, but also with new legislation and new topics. Last month, this website therefore received its first overhaul. Over the next few weeks, we would like to draw your attention to a few of the changes.

Enjoy this chart while you still can – these targets are likely to be revised in the next few months.

One common question from pro-nuclear Energiewende critics is what Germany would look like today if it had not switched off 40 percent of its nuclear capacity in 2011. In recent weeks, we have gotten a taste of the answer: massive voluntary shutdowns of coal and nuclear. Craig Morris investigates.

Eon’s Gas Power Plant in Irsching, part of reserve capacity in Germany. Originally praised as one of the most advanced facilities in the world, the plant hardly runs any longer and is unprofitable. (Source : Dominik Zehatschek/E.ON)

Germans are increasingly investigating “energy poverty” – and discovering that electricity is a smaller item than motor fuel and heat. The State of Baden-Württemberg, where our Craig Morris lives, recently published an overview for the state.

When Germany shut down nearly half of its nuclear capacity in the week after Fukushima, critics charged that the country would only be importing more nuclear power from its neighbors as a result. Craig Morris says it is a physical impossibility.

Over the past month, Craig Morris has commented on the debate surrounding net-metering (NEM) versus feed-in tariffs (FITs) several times in this blog. Today, he signs out of the discussion by pointing out that neither constitute going off-grid.

Producing as much electricity over a month as you consume doesn’t automatically mean you are self-reliant. (Photo by Transition Heathrow, CC BY 2.0)

In social media, one new meme seems to be that Germany is too dependent upon energy imports from Russia to take a strong stand on Ukrainian independence. Craig Morris says those commenters confuse energy with natural gas, and they overlook Russian dependence on Germany and the EU.

The GUM department store in central Moscow overlooking Red Square, where military parades are often held. Will the current crisis in Ukraine have mainly commercial impacts, or will it become more military? (Source: Harry-Hautumm | pixelio.de)

The French call it “autoproduction”; the Germans, “own consumption.” Whatever you call it, it’s becoming more popular, which may be why the German government wants to have it cover the cost of the transition as well. Craig Morris says recent policy proposals constitute an about-face and warns against stop-and-go policy support.

Germany’s power plants fired with hard coal might soon run for fewer and fewer hours each year, being increasingly offset by renewables. Now, a labor union has called on power firms to sell these power plants to a “national company” as hard coal is phased out. Craig Morris says the firms like the idea.

On February 13, the Böll Foundation, which funds this website, held an all-day conference on Germany’s energy transition. Craig Morris says one industry representative may have been overly pessimistic about Germany’s early commitment to solar.

By all accounts – you can take the IEA’s recent statements on the matter if you like – feed-in tariffs are the main policy driver behind renewables and photovoltaics in particular. Craig Morris wonders why the policy has such fierce opponents – and why they misrepresent the policy so much.

Why would you turn off or replace your inefficient air conditioning when net-metering does not reward that behavior? (Photo by Shai Barzilay, CC BY-NC 2.0)

We live in an age of quickly changing business models, and the trend is clearly towards Big Box megastores – to the detriment of mom-and-pop shops. But Craig Morris says the energy sector is shaping up to go in the opposite direction.

Feed-in tariffs only pay for power produced, which depends on the weather – and no one can guarantee that. So while the foreign press repeatedly speaks of guaranteed profits from feed-in tariffs, Craig Morris says German investors in wind and solar power have a different story to tell.

A giant German wind farm planning firm recently filed for bankruptcy, and the event made headlines. Craig Morris says the press coverage does not always clearly explain the difference between feed-in tariffs and “Genussrechte,” something that does not exist in English but could be translated as “participatory rights.” The event makes him think of an old Jimmy Stewart movie.

Recently, Craig Morris discussed an article that misrepresented feed-in tariffs (FITs). He also spoke with the two people quoted in the article, one of whom felt misrepresented – while the other was a prominent German spokesperson for renewables. He found that people describing policies are actually often talking about the technology effects, which the policies in question do not change.

A few years ago, the City of Gainesville, Florida, drew some attention for its implementation of feed-in tariffs for solar. At the beginning of 2013, the policy was suspended, however. The strangest thing for Craig Morris was not the apparent glee with which some alleged supporters of renewables, including from the solar sector, expressed upon hearing the news. It was their inability to get the story right.

Gainesville, FL, installed a lot of solar capacity after it introduced a FIT. Still, the program was discontinued. Craig Morris analyses the reasons. (Photo by William M, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The EU is to have carbon emissions targets, but nothing binding in terms of renewables or efficiency for specific member states. Craig Morris reports on what one energy expert in Brussels thinks the effect might be on the German Energiewende.

Farmers burning their harvest in front of the European Commission building in Brussels. The European Commission has put forward unambitious targets on carbon emissions. Opinions differ on whether it will seriously handicap the German Energiewende. (Photo by Teemu Mäntynen, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The EU’s new targets for 2030 are only for emissions trading. Anything adopted for renewables will not be binding, and we have yet to hear about efficiency at all. Craig Morris says we’re not going to get anywhere until we focus on all three.

The UK has successfully reduced carbon emissions from the power sector over the past two decades more than any other EU country except Germany. But instead of spearheading future progress, the two countries bicker over details – because their previous success came along much different paths. (Photo by Matthew Strmiska, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Wind and solar power are often considered unreliable, especially by their detractors. But Craig Morris recently realized he needed to change his terminology – after learning how intermittent conventional power plants are.

On Wednesday, the German government is to discuss the new proposals for energy policy revisions. The focus is on price. Craig Morris back-calculated what needs to be done to hit the government’s official targets, for instance for 2020.

International onlookers sometimes wonder when shale gas will get going in Germany. Americans in particular think, based on their own shale boom, that the Germans could reduce their carbon emissions and lower their energy prices with shale gas. Craig Morris says the situation looks much different within Germany.

Shale gas well in Poland – most likely to stay an exception in Europe, where public opinion towards shale gas is largely critical. (Photo by Karol Karolus, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Two items that make up more than 10 percent of the German renewables surcharge could shrink considerably over the next year, possibly enough to keep the surcharge from rising further. Whether retail power prices rise or fall, however, depends on more factors than simply this surcharge.

In December, Germany’s Network Agency, which oversees the electricity grid, published its monitoring report for 2013. Craig Morris does us the favor of reviewing the full German edition. Today, he focuses on what the report says about reserve capacity.

Gas Power Plant in Irsching, part of reserve capacity in Germany. (Source : Dominik Zehatschek/E.ON)

Germany has a new governing coalition this year, and the new Energy and Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel says the entire Energiewende needs to be relaunched. Craig Morris has no problem with that opinion – as long as we remain focused on the right outcome.

In his last post of 2013, Craig Morris addresses his readers who have accused him of “cherry picking” over the year. He says the fruit from the top tastes the best. We just hope he doesn’t hurt himself up there – and that you don’t either when you’re putting the last decoration atop your Christmas tree. Best wishes for 2014 from all of us at EnergyTransition.de!

On Sunday, the key posts were announced for Chancellor Merkel’s new cabinet. Craig Morris says a number of appointments make it clear that the new government aims to do what Germans do best: find a consensus.

Sigmar Gabriel will be the new minister for economics and energy. He was previously minister for the environment between 2005-2009. (Photo by blu-news.org, CC BY-SA 2.0)

A new study released by a major critic of the Energiewende finds that power prices are expected to continue to rise. But Craig Morris is surprised at how low even the worst forecast is. He says politicians are now stepping in to protect consumers now that the biggest hikes are behind us.

At the end of November, Germany’s Thüga Group exported the first hydrogen made from electricity into the country’s gas network at a point in Frankfurt. Craig Morris says the event could be the beginning of something big.

Recently, our blogger Craig Morris stated that both coalition parties have capable proponents of renewables, but he only mentioned one from the Social Democrats. He says he left out the conservative CDU/CSU intentionally – because he was saving the best for last.

Josef Göppel, one of the CSU’s outspoken supporters of bottom-up renewables. (Photo by goeppel.de)

In a few weeks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel could officially begin her next term in office now that the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats have reached a coalition agreement. Craig Morris takes a look at the reactions to the new proposals, which Matthias Lang recently summed up here.

German renewable energy association AEE has produced a simple chart comparing average household expenses for electricity, motor fuel, and heating oil. While everyone is focused on the rising cost of power, it turns out that the other two items have increased faster since 2000. Craig Morris investigates.

Germans pay a lot more for heating than for power – let alone renewables. (Photo by Bios, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The AGEB (Working Group on Energy Balances), which tallies official energy statistics for Germany, expects consumption to increase by just over two percent this year. Craig Morris takes a look at the organization’s overview for the first three quarters.

A winter day in Berlin – The exceptionally long and cold winter in 2013 caused a rise in gas consumption in Germany. (Photo by optikfluffel, CC BY 2.0)

But because of the way we count carbon emissions, German coal power exports to its neighbors (including France, which is a major net importer of German electricity) will make Germany’s carbon balance look a bit worse than it is in reality. Craig Morris explains.

Sometimes, Der Spiegel misconstrues issues so well that even experts have trouble understanding what is meant. Instead of a full rebuttal, Craig Morris takes a look at the two main claims in a recent article.

In Germany, feed-in tariffs for new solar arrays drop each month, but by varying rates dependent upon recent installation volumes. Craig Morris points out that, while German solar proponents mainly complain about the market slowing down, new installations continue to overshoot the government’s target.

Reports have trickled out – and made a bigger splash than the droplets of information may warrant: German energy corporation RWE plans to revise its business strategy. Craig Morris says the new ideas have been obvious for years, but a new ad by the firm shows that the company’s heart still isn’t in it.

German utility RWE seems to be undergoing a change of heart, but no official policy has been announced. (Photo by HOWI, CC BY 3.0)

Germany’s Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt or UBA) has come up with a proposal for a 95 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, far more than the country’s current goal of an 80 percent reduction. Craig Morris points out that the recommendations are intended not only for a German audience.

Recently, our Craig Morris explained that German retail rates are poised to stabilize even if the renewables surcharge continues to rise slightly. Today, he points out why we cannot expect the cost impact of feed-in tariffs to go down until around 2030 – and why that is not such a big deal.

As the EEG guarantees payments for 20 years, today’s surcharge equal the cumulative costs of the past installments. (Photo by lichtkunst.73 / pixelio.de)

On October 15, Germany announced the renewable surcharge for 2014, which is roughly 1 cent higher per kilowatt-hour than in 2013. Craig Morris says there are signs that an end to higher prices is near. And you don’t have to take his word for it.

Slowing down – energy price increases for consumers in Germany could come to a halt soon. (Photo by Alexander Franke)

The Berlin-based think tank for the Energiewende has published its own proposal for revisions to the Renewable Energy Act, which specifies feed-in tariffs. The renewables community is up in arms. Craig Morris explains.

If Agora’s proposals were implemented, installation of two of the three renewable technologies in this photo would probably stop. (Photo by Florian Gerlach, CC BY-SA 3.0)

After the summer break, EU officials are back to work, and their long-awaited plans for state aid in the energy sector are taking shape. Craig Morris says there is good news and bad news – and a lack of clarity.

In his series on how German energy policy needs to change, Craig Morris has focused on keeping costs down, but today he talks about spreading them around fairly. The issue is not just industry exemptions, but also grid costs in general.

A reform of the renewable energy sources act is due, especially to decrease the financial burden on consumers. (Uwe Schlick / pixelio.de)

In his last post, Craig Morris discussed two market failures and argued that energy corporations need to assume more responsibility for risk in the energy transition. Today, he adds two more market failures and says small investors can shoulder more of the burden, but only if they have more information.

Germany does not yet have a new coalition, but the debate about German energy policy reform is in full bloom. Today, Craig Morris talks about the changes that would affect energy corporations – and can’t help noticing the German penchant for market-based instruments and efforts to limit governmental intervention.

The new government will need to tackle challenges around grid development and a possible capacity market. (Photo by FireFace13, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Recently, the UK’s Sam Friggens spoke of community ownership in Germany as crowdfunding. Craig Morris wondered why he had never heard the Germans call it that, and he could think of two reasons – one small, the other big.

Bioenergy village Juehnde, in which the biogas plant is owned by a local cooperative of citizens. (FNR/Jan Zappner)

In a recent (and unfortunately undated) paper, the WRI points out that the world is not on track to slow down global warming and proposes a solution: a new club of nations, whose members would work together. There would be strict requirements for membership as well, as Craig Morris explains.

The recently established Renewables Club during their first meeting in Berlin. Does just another forum for dialogue help, though? (BMU/Ute Grabowsky, photothek.net)

A new campaign for renewables in the US focuses on something too often overlooked in the debate there: community ownership. Craig Morris is pleased to see the campaign’s work, but he nonetheless has some things to critique.

At the end of August, the Dutch government announced slightly different targets for renewables, and some interesting details are in the works. Nonetheless, the country still is not on course to meet its target for 2050. For that matter, neither is Germany, as Craig Morris points out.

In mid-August, Germany had its first normal workday on which peak power prices were below base prices, and futures prices are also down. Craig Morris provides an overview and warns proponents of renewables not to rejoice too soon at the demise of conventional power.

Dirty, inflexible, obsolete: Niederaußem Lignite Power Plant in North Rhine-Westphalia and according to the WWF one of the most inefficient power plants in Europe. (Photo by Stodtmeister, CC BY 3.0)

A few weeks before the German parliamentary elections, a consumer advocacy group has published a survey of public opinion on the country’s energy transition. The findings are clear: Germans support the goals of the Energiewende. Nonetheless, Craig Morris has some nits to pick with the poll’s questions.

Protests like this one in Berlin for the democratization of grid and electricity production show that most citizens agree with the goals of the Energiewende – but want to be taken seriously and involved as actors. (Photo by Uwe Hiksch, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger says Germany must review its Renewable Energy Act (EEG) immediately after the elections in September. He specifically has his eye on priority grid access for renewables. But Craig Morris says there is always “too much” renewable power for power firms.

Experts say that industry can help the transition to intermittent renewables by shifting power demand. Now, German think tank Agora Energiewende has published the English translation of its report, which our Craig Morris reviews.

Stuttgart, one of southern Germany’s industrial powerhouses and home to countless industrial electricity consumers like Daimler-Benz (Photo by pjt56, CC BY 3.0).

The German Environmental Ministry (BMU) and German industry association BDI have produced a brochure of 22 examples of how creative German companies are striving in the green economy. Craig Morris says the publication shows how focused the German business world is on the energy transition.

A combined cycle gas turbine with over 60% net efficiency- one of the examples for how German companies (in this case Siemens) profit from the growing green economy. (Siemens Press Picture)

An article over at the Economist sums up the obstacles facing offshore wind in Germany fairly well, as a comparison with recent forecasts reveals. But while the report is well researched and accurate, Craig Morris says it nonetheless misses the point by taking offshore wind to be a crucial part of the Energiewende.

Offshore wind power plays a minor role in Germany’s Energiewende. (Photo by Nuon, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Just a few weeks after complaining about how French labor unions don’t support renewables, Craig Morris now gets to eat his hat. He says he’s glad to do so if it helps get the word out that France’s energy transition will create more than 600,000 jobs by 2030.

In France, the wind for nuclear might slowly be turning: Among others, the French labor union CFDT has started to openly speak out for renewables. (Photo by TtoTheStreet, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Under a recent blog post here, numerous readers commented that green gas could be made from electricity when the price on the power exchange is low or even negative. Craig Morris says that is exactly what will happen – it’s just not “green gas.”

In the long run, Germany will need seasonal storage of solar power from the summer for the winter. German researchers are banking on “power to gas” (P2G). Craig Morris takes a look at how far away we are.

Pipelines offer storage capacities for excess energy – but the conversion of electricity is not quite there yet. (Photo by Buridans Esel, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Last December, the IFEU Institute of Heidelberg co-published a roadmap for the Energiewende. Martin Pehnt, a co-author of this website, helped direct the project. Craig Morris says the ideas are quite practical.

Mapping the detailed need for change in a different way: IFEU’s Energiewende roadmap. (Photo: IFEU)

A new study by German think tank Agora Energiewende looks into what solar power with storage would need to cost to be competitive with other optimized growth scenarios. Craig Morris says the findings need to be heeded.

Does it make more sense to install wind and solar capacity where it is most efficient or put them close to where demand is highest? (Photo by bby_, CC BY-NC 2.0)

In May, Rainer Baake and Jennifer Morgan published an article at Bloomberg recommending German renewables policy to Americans. Craig Morris found the reader comments especially interesting, both in what was said and what was completely left out.

Germany or the US? While on the surface things might look familiar, discussions can get confusing when one looks more closely. (Photo by Jeffrey G. Katz, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Green politician Oliver Kischer has published a critique of the proposals being tossed about for a new power market design, and he comes down heavily in favor of focused capacity markets. Craig Morris takes a look at the reasoning.

The renewables sector is generally open to the idea of capacity payments, provided the design is “focused.” WWF Deutschland has already made such a proposal. Craig Morris provides an overview.

Irsching Power Station, a combined-cycle power plant that uses gas to produce both electricity and heat, for which reason it is more efficient than classical gas turbine plants. It is used as a peak load power plant and recently caused discussions as E.ON wanted to shut down one block due to unprofitability while the Federal Network Agency argued that its production capacity was needed to stabilize the grid. (Source: E.ON)

Germany has an “energy-only” power market, meaning that all payments are based on the kilowatt-hour. If a plant does not run much, it earns less – and gas turbines are suffering the most. But as Craig Morris points out, Germany is a bit of an exception within the EU – for how much longer?

To integrate renewables into energy markets, more dispatchable capacity is needed. Capacity markets are one way to incentivize the availability of capacity. (Photo by WeiterWinkel, CC BY-NC 2.0)

In Germany, labor unions are strong supporters of renewables, which is not the case everywhere. A recent paper by a German labor union leader explains the history, which is a good example of the struggle between midsize firms and large corporations, says Craig Morris.

Nowadays, renewables provide far more jobs in Germany than the rest of the energy sector combined. (Photo by Loozrboy, CC BY-SA 2.0)

The figures for ownership of renewables in Germany indicate a shift from private citizens, who still make up about half of investments, to the commercial sector. Craig Morris says some people saw this coming.

The difference between the price of electricity at times of low demand (baseload) and high demand (peak load) has shrunk dramatically in Germany over just the past few years. As Craig Morris points out, one result is that pumped storage no longer pays for itself.

Pumped-storage power station Rönkhausen in North Rhine-Westphalia as seen from above. (Photo by Dr.G.Schmitz, CC BY-SA 3.0)

American Ozzie Zehner is looking for “alternatives to alternative energy.” Craig Morris agrees with practically everything he says but nonetheless feels that Zehner’s approach is self-serving. Orgs in the US all protect their own industries. Who is left to call for a true energy transition?

The neighborhood of Vauban in Freiburg is a good example for the pervasiveness of environmentalism in Germany. (Photo by s4tomorrow, CC BY-NC 2.0)

The campaign against coal power continues in Germany. Two new studies come to relatively similar estimates of the number of people who die every year from coal emissions in Germany alone – and one organization says some EU standards are more lax than those in China and the US. Craig Morris wonders whether the various numbers from different studies will convince skeptics.

Coal is relatively cheap only because environmental and health costs are externalized. (Photo by Elsdorf-blog.de, CC BY 3.0)

In a recent paper about Germany’s energy transition, Craig Morris found one particular claim that he wanted to investigate: have the Germans built any coal plants to make up for lost nuclear power since 2011?

Unit 9 of the coal power station in Mannheim was the last German coal power generation unit to receive a building permission in 2009 – two years before the nuclear phase-out was put into place. No new projects have been allowed since and six have been cancelled. (Photo by Engelberger, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A German NGO has joined the call for a German coal phaseout – and invited a US activist to Germany to raise awareness about where Germany’s hard coal is coming from. Craig Morris wonders whether the discussion is focusing on what’s important.

A recent scientific paper wondered whether the potential of wind power worldwide has not been overestimated. Craig Morris could not help noticing that the calculation was based on something he has never seen it used in the German debate: watts per square meter.

Watts per m² – Germans are not worried about theoretical limitations. They just build renewables and realize in the process that they can make more energy than they need. (Photo by Alexander Franke)

Recently, our Craig Morris did a three-part book review of the original “Energiewende: growth and prosperity without petroleum and uranium” from 1980. He then spoke with one of the authors, Florentin Krause, who had a few bones to pick with Craig’s reading – and with the current implementation of the concept in Germany.

While the share of Renewables in electricity production has multiplied in Germany, issues of efficiency as well as other sectors like transportation and heating remain to be addressed. (Photo by romainguy, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The Anglo world repeatedly reads news about Germany’s changes to energy policy as a sign that Germany is abandoning renewables. Craig Morris says the misunderstanding is cultural; the success of Germany’s switch to efficiency and renewables, macroeconomic.

A recent report at USA Today throws together a lot of disparate problems to explain why renewables are “losing their shine” in Europe. As Craig Morris points out, feed-in tariffs are not subsidies, Europe is not Germany, and we still overlook the main driving force behind the German energy transition.

Solar Panels on the roof of residential houses in Heidelberg – Community ownership and environmental concerns are two key reasons to understand the broad acceptance of higher electricity costs. (Photo by 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The City of Los Angeles has announced that it plans to replace coal power with renewables, efficiency and natural gas starting immediately. Craig Morris wonders how doomed coal is in the rest of the US – and in Germany.

Los Angeles is leading the way towards Renewables. (Photo by Thomas Pintaric, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Opponents of wind turbines charts that they kill tens of thousands of birds each year. How many birds died from coal plant emissions? The question is rarely asked, but Craig Morris has been following the subject for more than a decade and finds the human death toll from coal power is much bigger than the number of birds killed by wind turbines.

Though ground-mounted solar panels do take up space, they can coexist with grazing animals, as this sheep farm/solar array in Bavaria demonstrates. Image: Craig Morris

A recent article at Slate.com is a refreshing exception to the frequent misreports. Nonetheless, Craig Morris has a few nits to pick and says that the bad news for Germany is the good news for the United States.

In this final installment looking back on the first book on the Energiewende of 1980, Craig Morris looks at the many things the book gets right and wonders whether it might provide good reasons to finally call for a coal phaseout in Germany.

In the late 1970s, the first major protests against nuclear power had already taken place in Whyl and Brokdorf. Perhaps no other publication better reveals what the arguments against nuclear were back then than the original book Energiewende. Craig Morris was mainly surprised at the early focus on overall efficiency.

The term “Energiewende” did not come about in 2011, but rather in the late 1970s, and it was canonized in an eponymous book from 1980. But a close read reveals that “Energiewende: growth and prosperity without petroleum and uranium” is not about phasing out coal at all – quite the contrary, as Craig Morris reports in this three-part series.

The Brokdorf nuclear plant, one of two main places where the German anti-nuclear movement started. The plant will be one of the last to go offline in 2021. (Photo by Alois Staudacher, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Over at the Washington Post, environmental blogger Brad Plumer rightly points out the social responsibility we have in the switch from old technologies (coal power) to new ones (renewables). Germany has quite a bit of experience switching coal miners to green jobs, and Craig Morris knows the German word for it: Strukturwandel, or structural change.

Proud witness of German Strukturwandel – Zeche Zollverein in Essen, former mining complex and today UNESCO world heritage site and exhibition space. (Photo by Adva, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Why the moral indignation at Germany’s attempt to switch to renewables? When checking into Germany, Craig Morris advises Americans to leave their vituperation at the door. Germans of different political camps speak respectfully with each other and are guided by facts, not ideology – with, he regrets, the exception of Der Spiegel.

How much carbon does the average American or European emit per year? How much does the world emit? And if you know the answers to those questions, maybe you can also tell Craig Morris how many tons of nuclear waste the world has? He tried, and failed, to find out.

Radioactive Waste in Nevada – how much is there? (Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Field Office)

On the second anniversary of the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Craig Morris talks about what – despite the flood of information – still needs to be better understood and why the debate about our future energy supply should include a peace dividend.

A commemoration in Vienna in 2011, remembering the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 as well as the Fukushima nuclear disaster which had only occured a few weeks earlier. (Photo by Manfred Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Yesterday, the German government held a press conference on the energy transition, which apparently put a lot of reporters to sleep. During the event, Environmental Minister Peter Altmaier found time to engage in a debate with us on Twitter. Craig Morris thinks he won that debate, by the way. And the real news came out of Brussels, not Berlin: German energy policy may violate competition rules.

The chemical industry in Germany is one of the main industrial consumers of power and often excluded from the surcharge and even grid fees. (Photo by Gerd W. Zinke, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Feed-in tariffs are often referred to as a startup mechanism for a fledgling technology (renewables), and it is assumed that they will be done away with at some point. Craig Morris wonders why the nuclear sector now needs them after 50 years of subsidies.

The Chernobyl Memorial in front of the reactor ruins. Only a few weeks ago, the provisional container above the reactor collapsed.

Is Germany not simply switching off its own nuclear plants in order to import nuclear power from its neighbors? It turns out that nuclear plants in neighboring countries have always run at full capacity and simply cannot be ramped up any further to sell more to Germany. Craig Morris discusses the recent findings of a report by the German Institute for Applied Ecology (Oeko-Institute).

The Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant on the French side of the Rhine on the Franco-German border. (Photo by Florival fr, CC BY SA 3.0)

Everyone understandably looks towards the future to see how Germany will manage to increase the share of renewables in its power supply, but occasionally it’s worth taking a look back to see how far we have come – far, far further than both critics and supporters expected. Craig Morris takes a look.

How are Germany’s Eastern neighbors Poland and the Czech Republic reacting to the German renewable energy surge? Craig Morris discusses a recent study by the German Institute of Applied Ecology (Oeko-Institute) on the country’s energy transition and its impact on power flows with its neighbors.

Delineating between commercial and physical power flows is not a task for the faint-hearted. Fortunately, researchers have done the work for us – and found that power is sold when it is cheap, not to prevent blackouts. As part of a four-part series, Craig Morris discusses a recent study on this matter conducted by the German Institute of Applied Ecology (Oeko-Institut).

A few weeks ago, German Environmental Minister Peter Altmaier (Christian Democratic Union – CDU) said he planned to redesign German energy policy so that the renewables surcharge passed on to ratepayers would not rise any further. Altmaier provided details last week, just days after the Greens produced their own counter-proposal. Craig Morris takes a look at this proposal.

Germany has been criticized for the impact of its energy transition on Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland, all of which charge that uncontrolled surges in renewables are destabilizing their grids and/or reducing the profitability of conventional power firms. As part of a four-part series, Craig Morris discusses a recent study on this matter conducted by the German Institute of Applied Ecology (Oeko-Institut).

Last week, German Environmental Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) and Industry Minister Philipp Rösler (FDP) reached an agreement to scale back industry exemptions to the renewables surcharge, slow down new wind and solar projects, and take money back from existing renewable power generators.

Protest against the latest efforts of Altmaier to slow down and shipwreck the Energiewende.(Photo by campact, CC BY-NC 2.0)

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Definitioner

Efficiency

Efficiency: the amount of useful energy output relative to the amount input. Not to be confused with the capacity factor.
For wind power and solar power, efficiency measures something fundamentally different than for non-renewable resources. For instance, an old coal plant may have an efficiency of 33 percent, meaning that a third of the energy in the coal is converted into electricity, with the other two thirds being lost as waste heat. Nonetheless, 33 percent may sound better than the 15 percent efficiency of an off-the-shelf solar panel.
But there is a difference: the coal is lost forever when consumed, so it makes sense to use it as efficiently as possible; in other words, we lose what we use. While it obviously also makes sense to use sunlight as efficiently as possible, with solar and wind we lose what we do not use – the Earth gets roughly the same amount of energy from the Sun every day. Whatever we do not harvest with wind turbines and solar panels is lost forever.
This distinction becomes clearer when we keep in mind that the volume of coal power is different depending on whether we count primary energy or useful energy, but the amount of wind and solar power is the same in terms of primary/useful energy.